Recreation Books

An easy read, that's about much more then just the game of hockey. This book delves into the tradition and character of Michigan and it's hockey program. Blue Ice is a must read for anyone interested in Michigan athletics, is familiar with the Ann Arbor hockey community, or just loves the game of hockey.

Blue ice is an impressive book that will be enjoyed by anyone interested in collegiate-level athletics, particularly ice hockey. Bacon is a gifted writer with the ability to interweave historical facts and objective (always informative and often funny) stories that keep the reader entertained. It is a great buy for folks that love factually based stories.

A must-read for hockey lovers! Whether you like Michigan Hockey or any other team, this book is for you. Bacon makes this history story of the Wolverine skaters extremely fun and joyous reading. If you are a Michigan fan, you'd enjoy reading all the details and stories; if you (so wrongly) chose another team to cheer -- you'll become curious as to its own history.
I especially loved the parts of the book (which I consider as "Hockey chanting for Idiots") detailing the rich content and background behind some of what you hear in Yost Ice arena. After reading it, watching the games was so much more fun!

The idea is simple. Write an engaging story recounting the coming of age of a first class collegiate hockey program and spice it with behind the scene details, locker room interviews and humorous anecdotes. The execution is outstanding. Blue Ice takes the reader on a very enjoyable trip looking at the beginnings of college hockey at the University of Michigan, from playing outdoors on the frozen Huron River, to the recent trips that Wolverine skaters have made to the Frozen Four championships. The bonus for readers is getting a sports version of "Connections," with the athletic stories enveloped and intertwined in the history of the time, showing how seemingly unrelated events can influence each other. Easy and entertaining to read, delightful to give as a gift, when it was over, we wanted a sequel.

This is a very informative and insightful look into the rich tradition of Michigan Hockey. The writing is tremendous with great personal interviews with former players and coaches and other people well connected to the program. I loved the off-the-ice stories the most. It is not abook about statistics and generic history. Bacon digs deep into the people involved in the program and relays their stories in a way that makes you feel like you are part of it. You get right inside the locker room, classroom and team parties as well. It is a very easy read and always keeps you entertained.

This is a great book for all basketball fans and all Kentuckians. For those who do not understand Kentucky, or who do not understand basketball, this book will make both of them much more understandable. Truly, there is nothing on Earth like the subculture of Kentucky basketball.

This book puts in perspective the "official" religion of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As a UK student last year during the 1998 National Championship run I never would have guessed the ammount of media attention the CATS draw...can you picture your local TV stations having live feeds when the team plane lands at the local airport...that is just a small glance to the fever that overtakes KY during March. This book puts you into the heart of KY. I met the author at Joseph-Beth Booksellers last year in Lexington as he signed the book...there was not a large crowd there during the signing...the CATS were on TV.

This is a great book for all basketball fans and all Kentuckians. For those who do not understand Kentucky, or who do not understand basketball, this book will make both of them much more understandable. Truly, there is nothing on Earth like the subculture of Kentucky basketball.

What a great book exploring the UK basketball phenomenon! Anyone who questions the importance of this program to its fans should read this book! You may not come away a fan, but you'll certainly understand those who do! WOW!

...and then I had to read this book after losing a bet (on the 1999 UK/Indiana game, which Kentucky won). As a hoosier fan, it pains me to say that I actually loved this book, and any book that can take the arch enemy of a program and make him/her see the light is a remarkable work. Reading through this book, I actually realized that there were tears in my eyes on several occasions. How could this be? I'm a hoosier--a sworn enemy of the Kentucky Wildcats--and yet, after reading this book, I found myself actually (choke!) liking them! My congratulations to Lonnie Wheeler on an unbelievably good book, and my hat's off to the Kentucky Wildcats--the best program in college basketball!

I was a huge Browns' fan growing up, even though I lived about 5 hours away from Cleveland. When the Browns lost on a Sunday, I had a miserable week and couldn't wait until 1 o'clock the next Sunday. Ah, the joy of growing up.

I learned a lot about the Browns that I never knew before about Paul Brown, Art Modell, Blanton Collier and the whole team. What memories it brought back. If you were a fan of that era by all means read this book.

Five years ago upon visiting the midwest I stopped in Cleveland to see a game and visit Jacobs Field. That Sunday morning I drove out to see the remains of League Park because that's where the Browns had their practices. League Park is arguably in the worse part of any town that I've ever visited a ballpark (and I've seen 150-200), but boy was it worth it. Too bad so little remains of the ballpark, but I have a baseball book describing and picturing League Park.

Pluto has done it again. This book, especially the second half, is a must-read for any Browns fan. Pluto's compelling take on the last Cleveland championship is loaded with information that cannot be found elsewhere. If you're a Browns fan, this book, if nothing else, needs to be in your collection.

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE

What a book! It takes you back in time to when the Browns were not only part of the fabric of Ohio, but also the team that captured every heart. The section on the training camp and the players sneaking off to a local gas station is worth the price of the book alone. It was a special time and this book captures it beautifully.

I read it, loved it, and gave it to my Dad and he practically read it in one night.

For me, the acid test of books like these is whether they manage to engage the neutral. Certainly Browns fans will enjoy this pleasant wallow in nostalgia from a time when football was still football.

I'm not a Browns fan but I found myself wallowing along with them. Pluto manages to capture the essence of the '64 season and yet not neglect the wider context. Fascinating stuff.

I've played pool most of my adult(and teenage) life. I've spent time on several tours and am always looking to learn something new. Byrne covers an amazing array of pool and billiard situations and does an outstanding job of diagraming and explaining the physics involved(Robert would insist that I give credit to Bob Jewett for this). If you think there's nothing in this book that's new to you you're most likely mistaken. Byrne's other books are outstanding as well. By the way, Bob...you've got the eight and one going to 7, bet high.:-)

I have read just about every book on this subject, there is no better book than this one! In fact, I recommend all of Robert Byrne's Pool & Billiards books and videos. He is an accomplished player, teacher and author.

This book will meet and exceeds everyones expectations on the subject!

I had been playing pool for approximately 10 years before i read this book, 3 of the 10 years were in "a" leagues and competitive nine and eight ball tournaments. before i read this book, i was able to run one rack out of every ten, after reading this book my game improved 500 percent. i was able to consistently run 5 racks out of every 10. the book has very explicit instructions and absolutely superb illustrations and examples of several methods of setting up shots. i expecially liked the procedure for running a table, it has some very good advice and if anyone follows it and can shoot just a little bit they will be able to run racks. i can't say enough about the benefits this book has had for my game. in my opinion robert byrnes, is the best teacher of the game of pool bar none! i read this book in about eight hours. it's a page turner if you want to improve your game or even are thinking about learning how to play the game, this is the book for ! you.

I just learned about this NEW publication, which is a revision of the one I read "Byrne's Standard Book of Pool and Billiards", Copyright © 1987, 1978 by the same author Robert Byrne. I have read just about every book on this subject, and there is no better book than this one! In fact, I recommend all of Robert Byrne's Pool & Billiards books and videos. He is an accomplished player, teacher and author.

I have no doubts that this book will meet and exceeds everyone's expectations on the subject!

Outstanding information on basic and advanced technique.It tells you about draw and follow shots, and also english.It also gives you information on straight pool, eight-ball, and many other pool games.This is in my opinion, the only book on pool and billiards you will ever need. Robert Byrne has really outdone himself by creating this masterpiece. This book should be on the shelves of every pool and billiards player. This is by far the best book on pool and billiards ever written.

This book lives up to its title. Some of the tips are fascinating, although as a "car camper" I may never utilize them (for example, despite the book's recommendations, a Eureka dome tent is more convenient and practical for my family then, say, a hand-fashioned shelther of canvas and rope, or pine boughs). Nevertheless, even the information that I may never utilize myself is fascinating to read, and the book is otherwise full of "smaller scale" tips and tricks (e.g., cooking, tools, hiking and orienteering, etc.) that are useful to all levels of campers.

With this book, Mr. Jacobson has compiled some of the best tips and ideas for camping out of doors. From winter camping to knot-tying, it is a VERY helpful resource for the beginning/intermediate camper. The book is easy to read and easy to reference with subjects listed in alphabetical order. He covers almost anything you could think you want to know about camping, with very good information on canoeing as well. Read this book before you go!

Cliff Jacobson is in my opinion the best canoe-camping-outdoor equipment-how-to guy writing today. And this book is very good, full of wonderful tips and advice laid out in far greater detail than most any of his competitors can muster.

Since I enjoy this author so much, I didn't even mind that the organization of "Camping Tips only the Experts Know" is a little haphazard, using the letters of the alphabet. Nor did I mind that most of the camping tips presented I'd already come across in Cliff's other outdoor books, including his masterpiece, "Expedition Canoeing." However, there were just enough brand new tips to keep me turning pages. And the occasional re-tooled old tip explained in even greater and more helpful detail.

My advice would be, if you're interested in camping, especially canoe camping, then buy everything this author has ever written. You'll be more comfortable and efficient in the great outdoors -- and appreciative of it -- than ever before. But if you can only get one or two of his books, then choose between "Expedition Canoeing" and/or "Canoeing and Camping, Beyond the Basics." They are extraordinary.

Cliff Jacobson is one of the authors of a great series of camping books called the "Basic Essentials". He is popular because he writes in a homey accessible style that gets you interested in the subject and teaches you in simple terms anyone can grasp. In the series are books on camping basics, cooking outdoors, map and compass, shelter, weather, canoeing, fishing, first aid, and more. They are great little library to have but if you can't afford them all, buy this one for all the basics. Cliff has put together a book that has information from all of these and a little more. Some of his "secrets" are really helpful tips you may have heard before if you are an experianced camper, but you can bet there will be some new ones too. An all around great resource for the experianced or rookie camper, I highly reccommend.

Wow.
There was a lot of stuff I didn't know. Twenty five years of camping on the average of once a month and I got a lot out of this book. Jacobsen's advice on pitching tarps alone is worth the price of the book. There is a minimal amount of old chestnuts aand lots of really useful information.

Buy it for the great cars!
But it for the great photos of the cars!
Buy it for the play by play of each and every race.
-for the Amazing list pro drivers whom were brave enough to get behind the wheels of these 'Big Bangers!
-for the behind the scenes looks at these monster big block engines and how they pushed the envelope of technology.
-for the wild designs as each team played at the first tentative steps at understanding Aerodynamic down force!

Nothing, nothing was more grand or powerful at that time! So get this book that perfectly captures the time when Racing was Dangerous, but Sex was not.

OK, I am a huge Pete Lyons fan. He lived it and wrote about it so we could also live it. Great job and great book. A must read if you are a Can Am fan or a fan of the "good old days" of motor sports where determination and a few bucks could get you in the game.

This is a delightful book for any racing enthusiast who either loved the Can-Am or wants to learn why older fans revere it.

While Pete Lyons is as scrupulous as someone like Doug Nye about accuracy for such details as chassis numbers, Pete uses such information only to make sure that his narrative is accurate and consistent or to authoritatively state interesting facts, such as the cars that won consecutive events, or won the same events in consecutive years, or were raced by certain drivers.

Pete Lyons and Doug Nye are THE names for any library. Once again Pete lives up to a stellar reputation and this book is another must have for your collection.
Can Am is such a beloved series that you have to have the best book in your library and this is the one to build your library from.
I hope this helps you make your decision on purchase.

Reading Lyons' book is like reading the race reports at the time in Competion Press and Road & Track, with the added perspective of knowing how it all turns out after the rubber dust has settled. The candid driver shots of Bruce, Denny, Dan, Mark and the rest of these heroes of my college days, with the exquisite on-track shots and hardware close-ups, bring it all back in a great rush. It's a very difficult book to set down, time just seems to fly, as it seems those years did. It's a marvellous reminiscence of those larger-than-life men and the fastest road-racing machines ever built.

Lowell does excellent work in this book capturing life at the Olympics, mixed in with family problems, and how athlete's aspire to greatness despite all the odds. It is superb. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Tori must have felt wonderful after winning the Olympics. This book was sad and happy. I wished that Tori could've somehow worked her strength past this awful disease and still have been able to skate. A beautiful heart- wrenching story.

This book was great and I liked the way it ended.The book shows Tori's feelings,and also had chapters on other characters insights.I give this book five stars,it was the best of all the books in the Silver Blades series.It's great!!!!!!!!!!

This book is about two skaters who have followed their dreams to skate at the Olympics. Melissa Lowell uses her imagination to create two skaters going to the Olympics instead of Kwan and Lipinski. This book is one of a three-book miniseries and of all of them I think it's the best! I'd give this book 5 stars, the first one for the drawing on the cover, the second one for the creativity of the book, third for the surprises, fourth for the adventure, and fifth for the humor. At the end there is a big surprise! Tori, who has a disease that can have her end up in a wheel chair, won the gold and Jill is in third. It was a great book. I'd recommend it for ages 7-12. I hope you enjoy the book!

This is the final book of a three-book mini-series. The end of every chapter leaves you hungry for more. It is about two girls trying to rising to the top of the world of figure skating. In Chance of a Lifetime, Tori and Jill are competing in the Olympics. Tori is skating with a serious muscle diease against all odds, and trying to be strong when all she recieves is pity. The other girl, Jill, finds out how differently alternates are treated at the Oympics than skaters competing. This book is sad at some points, funny at others, and really a thrilling book overall. It's a must for girls who love ice-skating.

As a lifelong Beach Bum, I have read this book numerous times and felt the true peacefullness and calm I always get at the beach. We all need to embrace the Ocean and all who live in it. There are angels like Wyland who have devoted their life to preserving the ocean and this book shares some of the most touching and beautifull stories I have read. I encourage you to read this if you love the ocean,live by or dream of visiting it someday.

Many of us that were raised near an ocean feel a special connection to it. We are lured back by the soothing waves, beauty, and wonderful memories. The authors of this book effectively take you there, reminding you of the good times and the lessons learned. As you read, you feel the same sense of peace and comfort that the ocean gives. I was particularly moved by Michael Geers' writing in Letters. He movingly describes how the lessons and memories his mother introduced during childhood, continue to guide and comfort him as an adult. He illustrates how the ocean can provide us with physically, emotionally, and even, spiritually uplifting experiences. If you love the ocean and yearn to be close to it again, pick up a copy of this book. You will feel like you've returned.

This book is really excellent. I was in a diving trip in the islets of spratlys when i started reading this book. It really had my eyes fill with tears. The book not only did touch my heart but also my soul. Never did i regret buying this book!

Wow! I received this book as a gift from a co-worker who knew I was a fan of the work of the artist Wyland. I had seen the Chicken Soup series for years, but found most of the stories to be a little too similar. This book was a VAST improvement and really deserves a look from anyone who thought the Chicken Soup series has burned itself out. I was particularly drawn to the story, "The Sea and the Wind that Blows," by E.B. White, the author of "Charlotte's Web." White, a long-time sailing aficionado, realizes for the first time that he is getting older and is becoming a risk to himself by sailing alone ... and must make a painful decision to give up his beloved pasttime. He ultimately decides that the point of life is to do what you love, and in so doing, decides to continue his sailing adventures, regardless of the consequences. It's a message for everyone who has ever considered giving up on something precious. The other stories are great too -- they come from around the entire world -- but are too numerous to explain in this review. This was simply a great gift that I will treasure as long as my paperback copy holds out.

Coming across this book is much like finding a bit of treasure from the sea. Plenty of "pearls", "gold", and "jewels" are to be found here. There are lovely stories, poems, cartoons, drawings and paintings to be cherished. Each one comes from the heart. Anyone who knows the "Chicken Soup" series of books will know what to expect, each contribution is amazing. Those who have not yet been introduced, this volume will be a wonderful place to start. The ocean theme will bring close to home the importance of the ocean and our responsibility towards it. The Sea's power and mystery reaches out to each of us in all parts of the world. What sets this one a bit apart from others is the inclusion of Wyland's art and his personal stories. This is a soulful, spiritual, and beautiful man who deeply loves the sea and is doing what he can to bring that out in all of us in order to protect it for the following generations. His moving stories will bring you closer to that part of us that that love the ocean and all that live in it. Don't miss out. It is unforgettable.

"Chief Bender's Burden" by Tom Swift is a great story, well written about a Native American baseball player turn of the century into the middle teens of the 20th century. He played for Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics and they were world champions for a number of years. Bender was a big game,money pitcher who was at his best in pivotal late season and post season games, ie ( Lew Burdette, Milwaukee Braves; Curt Schilling Arizona d-backs, Boston Red Sox). Baseball was truly a national pastime then, where every community with enough people to field a team, had one. Swift does a great job trying to be accurate in every detail. However, it was the era of Grantland Rice and other great writers whose descriptions were the only reports, other than box scores, of the games. Swift includes fantastic examples of their writings. A compelling read about baseball and society during that time in our country.

This book was a delight to read. It is both informative and entertaining. Although it is a work of history it is a very easy and interesting read. Tom Swift has done his homework as the book is filled with many details describing the life and times of this hall of famer. I recommend it to all fans of baseball history and eagerly look forward to his future works.

A great book on an early 20th Century forgotten Baseball pitcher who is in the Hall of Fame. "Chief" Bender was one of the mainstays of those early great Philadelphia A's teams. This is a about a native American player who excelled in Major League Baseball in spite of all the racial comments, taunts and low expectations of Native Americans. There is information about his days at the Carlisle School. Tom Swift also uses the racially charged quotes from the papers of those years to demonstrate what he had to live with. His real name was Charles and like Baseball in those days everyone had a nickname some weren't too flattering like "Chief", "Rube" and "Dummy" While this is not a movie where the character has flashbacks of his past, Tom Swift starts with the 1914 World Series game 1 in which the "Chief" lost and continues to go back to that game leading off of many of the chapters of the events surrounding that game. I don't understand by discussing all the racial sterotypes on the man why then does the author keep going back to that same unsuccessful game? To me it is slamning the man all over again. If you can get past this stupid movie technique then the book is a worth while read.

This is the best biography I have read. It provides important details about an player important in baseball history, and also illuminates the history of many Native Americans and how they were assimilated into society in the late 19th early 20th centuries. This is one to purchase and keep.

When I saw there was a new biography of the great Chief Bender, I grabbed it up. Tom Swift has done a great service by bringing the life of Charles Bender to print. He is one of the all-time greats and should not be overlooked.

Swift also lets the reader get to know the man behind the legend, and the Chief was a Hall-of-Famer in nearly every aspect of his life. He was a great man and a great pitcher. Connie Mack said that if he had to win one big game, there is no one he'd rather have on the mound. And Connie Mack saw them all, from the 1880s to the 1950s -- from Cy Young to Walter Johnson to Lefty Grove to Whitey Ford.

There are a few problems with the book, which keeps it, at least in my mind, from meriting five stars. Swift begins his book with the opening game of the 1914 World Series, and then he keeps coming back to it throughout. This doesn't work for a number of reasons, especially since this is the "big game" the Chief lost (the A's were swept in the series by the "Miracle" Boston Braves). There are also occasional problems with Swift's prose. He uses sentence fragments to good effect in some cases, but in most instances, they just confuse the issue and make it seem as though he doesn't realize that a fragment is not a complete sentence. I also felt that many of his similes were weak.

Lastly, a book about a baseball star should include that player's career statistics, but this Swift fails to do. I found myself going to a web site to view the Chief's stats.

Overall, however, I enjoyed getting to know the great Charles Bender a little better.

this book is very good, for anyone doing musculoskeletal health, or related. covers everythin under the sun, well recommended

Anyone working in sports medicine should have this reference guide in their library. It's an outstanding resource that will help in diagnosing an injury.

Awesome book !!! I'm a P.T. and Athletic Trainer getting
back into sports medicine and this book is a "must" for
your library. It's well organized and covers such a variety
of subject matter regarding injuries,rehabilitation, specific
medical injuries, and even aspects on the use of supplements
by athletes. It also contains functional anatomical references
that aid in the evaluation and differential diagnosis of
the injury. Great Book !!!

This is an astounding book. When was the last time you saw a 900+ page hard cover book packed with useful photographs and excellent line drawings...The practical advice in this book is unparalleled. No wonder it is an international best-seller. It arrived quickly and well packed from Amazon. Keep up the good work and thanks!

The second edition (2001) of this work is indeed an outstanding resource. My daily work includes imaging of sports and musculoskeletal injuries. I find this book frequently useful to supplement deficiencies in my knowledge and experience, and a most useful companion to the second edition (2001) of "Musculoskeletal Ultrasound" by Marnix van Holsbeeck and Joseph Introcaso.

Highly recommended as a workbench resource to those interested in imaging of sports injuries.